Multi-Location Commercial Door Rollout Phasing & Timeline

Multi-location door work fails for a predictable reason: each site gets treated like a separate job. Different measure dates, different quotes, different hardware, and by the end, a portfolio where no two entrances work the same way. This year, as a commercial door contractor serving Toronto and the GTA, we ran two rollouts that show the opposite approach. One was a 14-entrance automatic operator retrofit for a bank branch network anchored in King West. The other was a two-warehouse hollow metal and push bar program in Concord. Different buildings, same playbook.

Start With One Spec, Not One Quote Per Site

The first decision in any rollout is the standard. For the bank, that meant one operator model across every branch, one push plate style, one set of opening force targets. For the warehouses, one 16-gauge galvanized door with an insulated core and one rim exit device on every exit. Picking the standard first means the measure visits are about fitting the standard to each opening, not reinventing the door every time.

On the bank program, our measure crew visited every entrance in a single sweep and recorded door weight, pivot type, header depth and power location. Two branch headers were too shallow for the first operator option, so the spec moved those two doors to a surface-applied package that still matched the rest of the network. That decision went into the written CAD spec on day 3, not into a change order on day 15.

The rollout spec in one line

Every opening, every site, one document: size, handing, door, frame, hardware, label where it applies, and a price range per opening.

Group Openings by Type and Condition

Once every opening is measured, we group them. Not by site, but by type and condition. On the Concord warehouses, that produced three groups: frames that were square and could be reused, frames that needed full replacement, and exit doors that needed a device upgrade at the same time. Grouping this way does three things:

• Ordering is efficient, because identical doors are ordered together
• Phasing is clear, because each group has a predictable install time
• The property manager can see exactly where the money goes

That last point matters for capital planning. A portfolio PM on the 401 corridor told us the per-door price ranges in our spec let them split a door program across two budget quarters without re-quoting.

The Timeline That Actually Happened

Here is how the bank program ran, measured in calendar days from the first site visit:

Milestone	Day	What happened
Site measure sweep	1	All 14 entrances measured and photographed
Written CAD spec	3	Operator model, actuators, prep and price range per entrance
Sign-off and order	5	Facilities approved the spec as written
Installs	9-17	Early-morning installs, one branch entrance at a time
Close-out	18	Every operator force-tested, records delivered

Installs ran early in the morning before branches opened. Each entrance was mounted, wired, adjusted and force-tested before customers arrived, so no branch ever lost its accessible entrance during business hours. The facilities PM later summed it up in one line: CAD day 3, install day 18, no callbacks.

Keep Every Site Open

Phasing is about more than budget. Occupied buildings need working doors. On the bank program the rule was simple: never more than one entrance per branch out of service, and never overnight. On the warehouses, the rule was that every opening was finished the same day it was opened up, so neither building was left unsecured.

In Concord, that meant working around dock schedules. Crews hung doors between truck arrivals and set exit devices before the shift change. Over three weeks, both warehouses moved to the same door and the same exit device on every exit.

One Invoice, One Warranty Record

The paperwork is where multi-site work usually falls apart. Different invoices per site, different warranty terms, no clear record of what went where. Both programs this year closed with one invoice and one warranty record listing every leaf. The Concord ops lead put it in one sentence: multi-door rollout, 2 sites, 1 invoice, written warranty every leaf.

For retail chains and portfolio managers, that record is the long-term value. When a door needs service in three years, the spec tells you exactly what is installed, where, and under what warranty.

What a Rollout Costs

Per-opening costs drop on multi-site programs because measuring, ordering and mobilization are shared. As a guide from our current ranges:

• Automatic operators: $4,500-$12,000 per opening, lower end on multi-door programs
• Hollow metal doors and frames: $1,800-$5,800 per opening
• Like-for-like replacements: $1,500-$5,500 per opening

The bank program landed at $60,000-$65,000 across 14 operators. The warehouse program landed at $40,000-$45,000 across both sites. A technician confirms specs and price at your free on-site measure, and every number goes into the written spec before anything is ordered.

Planning Your Own Rollout

If you are looking at doors across several sites next year, start with three questions. What is the standard? Which openings fit it as-is and which need prep? And what order keeps every building open? Answer those in writing and the install becomes the easy part.

Planning a multi-site door program? See our commercial door replacement service, or ask about automatic door operator installation and hollow metal door installation for your portfolio.